Welcome to another weekly roundup of all things Hearthstone (Free) here at TouchArcade. As you’ll see this week, many Hearthstone articles have to do with how to build or understand the strongest (or most fun) decks in the current meta, and I suppose that makes sense considering the immense changes the game underwent ever since the shift to Standard. So, you’ll read about various dominant decks and decks that dominated tournaments, but at the same time we’ll be dipping into Wild a bit more than usual. I don’t know if Standard is getting a bit too slow for players, but I’ve been hearing more and more players starting to peek over at Wild perhaps in search for something different and, maybe, faster. So, let’s dive into this week’s news.
How Wild is Wild?
Players have been mostly talking about Standard mode, but Wild has its own charms according to this PC Gamer story. After playing 125 games on the Wild ladder, the author had some very interesting observations. For instance, the first Paladin deck he played against hit the curve perfectly with those cards you would expect to see (Zombie Chow, Shielded Mini-bot, Muster for Battle, etc). While in the lower ranks you’ll see many experimental decks, from Rank 12 and on you start hitting fast tempo decks like Patron Warrior and Freeze Mage. At around Rank 5, there weren’t many players to play against, so long wait times and rematches were the order of the day.
Most of the Wild decks were the pre-Standard decks without many Old Gods cards in them, and the good news for most is that Wild isn’t dominated by a slew of aggressive decks. For the writer, Standard feels wilder than Wild because that’s where all the experimental decks can be found. He expects aggro decks to become more efficient on the Wild side as time goes by, but for now Wild just isn’t as exciting as Standard. Read the whole story here.
Wacky Wild Decks
If you feel like going Wild, check out these fun, crazy decks, There’s Shadowlock Zoo, Pirate Rogue, Reno N’Zoth Druid, N’Zoth Priest and more. I’ve been thinking of playing some more Wild myself, so I think I’ll try out some of these decks, too. Check them out there.
How Stealth Can Make You Want to Quit the Game
This video shows off how the addition of Stealth from the Tavern Brawl 2 weeks ago made the Mech Mage deck insufferable. It’s always interesting to see how one small change in the rules of the game (or the abilities of a deck) can change a deck so much.
Decks for the End of the Season
When you reach the last days of the season, it’s time to whip out the crazy decks or the very strong ones, and you can find many of them in this HearthHead story. There are decks like Legend Midrange Shaman, Legendary Druid Beast Midrange, and Midrange/Tempo Warrior. Check them all here.
N’Zoth Dragon Paladin Deck
If you feel like bringing your dragons out to play Game of Thrones style, check out this Hearthpwn guide. The deck is quite strong when it works right, but even if it’s not, it’s fun to play Dragons in any game.
Google Trends Shows the Popularity of the Classes
This HearthHead story has an interesting idea behind it; what if we used Google Trends to see how popular the various classes. The story talks about how Hearthstone shot to popularity quite quickly and then had ebbs and flows in popularity that coincide with the release of new content. And then the article talks about how popular the various classes were. It’s an interesting way at looking at how popular the game and its classes have been through hard data. Check out the story here.
Check Out These Great Decks Based on WOW Lore
As we wrote a few days ago, HearthHead user, Mordanticus, put together some really fun decks that are based not on how powerful they are but, rather, on WOW lore. There are decks based on various armies, factions, Raids, and so on, and they are definitely a fun idea. They are all Wild decks, and are worth checking out if you like to occasionally play Hearthstone for fun rather than for winning.
The Shaman Problem
One of the most visible changes of the Old Gods expansion has been the resurgence of Shaman, with pros considering the class a bit too strong compared to other classes. The reason is a combination of the class losing few strong cards in the shift to Standard and the addition of some very good cards in much needed mana slots. Getting a 4-cost 7/7 is nothing to frown upon. And it’s not just Aggro Shaman that’s strong since Midrange Shaman is also formidable. The story goes on to describe what makes Shaman tick and offers various ways to counter the deck. Check out the story here.
Legendary Midrange Druid Beast Guide
If you’ve been thinking about building a Midrange Druid Beast deck, you should check out this really good, in-depth guide. This deck has seen some popularity in the past but was missing some tools. With the Old Gods release, the deck has become pretty competitive, so now it’s a good time to build one. Check out the whole guide here.
Feno’s Pirate Warrior is Pretty Strong
This Pirate Warrior is a pretty fun deck and it has shown its mettle in competition. And, if you enjoy themed decks, going the pirate way is definitely one of the most fun ways to go. The deck is pretty expensive (4,600 dust), but if you own the cards, you should check it out.
This Was the #1 Legend Deck on the Chinese Server
We don’t often talk about the Chinese side of Hearthstone, but this GosuGamers story offers a glimpse into that side of the world. The deck that landed number 1 Legend last month was not what you have expected. It’s a MalyYogg Miracle Druid of sorts, and while it’s a deck we’ve seen before in EU and NA, it’s not the kind of deck you expect to see as number 1. Check out the deck here.
The Decks that Won GosuCup SEA #1
If you a want to look at some of the best, and yet surprising, decks in the game right now, check out this GosuGamers deck spotlight. The decks that players brought to GosuCup SEA had all kinds of interesting choices; for instance, there was a Secret Paladin with Stand Against Darkness. You can check all these creative decks here and maybe steal an idea or two for the NA and EU servers.
Streaker Invades ESL Stage, Gets Tackled by Jedi
I have to give it to PC Gamer; this was probably the story of the month. At the ESL UK Hearthstone Premiership, a naked man ran on stage, used the trophy for a hat, and then met his “demise" at the hands of a Jedi (a cosplaying spectator with a brown belt in Judo). I apologize for the lack of a video on this one, but the thought should be enough (and I’m not even sure you would want to see it). Check out a more detailed account of the events here.
Playing 8x Ragnaros in Two Turns
RNG Saltage #11
Epic Random Moments #24
Insane Yogg-Saron Druid Deck
The New Player Experience
Best of Y’Shaarj
Best Fail Moments #11
Best Fails and Misplays #22
As always, we have some good resources on the site for you in case you are new to the game or simply want to sharpen up your game. There’s never such a thing as too much help in Hearthstone, so check out our guides.
Hearthstone Deck-building Guide
